Disclaimer: I do not own shaman king
Author's note: Something good happened last Monday that's why I'm in a good mood and become inspired to write down a collection of one-shots. I've noticed that a collection of one-shots has always been a fashion here so I said to myself, why not try one? I hope this would be a good start for me.
I wish from the bottom of my heart that you will love this guys as much as I do in writing this. By the way, some of you might ask why the title for this collection of one-shots? Actually mouse loves rice is a private joke that I love and I think it fits Yoh and Anna's relationship.
Warnings: This happened in an alternate universe and a little OOCness might be encountered while reading this. Thank you.
Story title: Diffindo
~majrocks~
"Often when we realize how precious those seconds are, it's too late for them to be captured because the moment has passed. We realize too late…"
~Cecelia Ahern
~majrocks~
Anna sighed as she watched Pirika walk down the aisle to marry the man of her dreams, Ren Tao, before turning her back and started to walk out of the wedding.
Sure she gave in to Pirika's request cum pestering to come and attend the wedding but she had no plans in staying here till the end of it.
She doesn't want to bump into Yoh that as expected was invited to this event. After their breakup five years ago, she cut all the ties and communication that she has with the Asakura family and their friends. She was even surprised when Pirika and Tamao one day knocked on her door to invite her to attend this wedding.
Put away the pictures
Put away the memories
I've poured over and over through my tears
She could still remember that dreadful day when Yoh invited her to go out and told her that maybe they should 'cool off' for a while. That they should check their feelings for each other and be sure that it is not just familiarity but love that they have. She'd taken that news badly and cancel their engagement.
I've held them till I'm blind
They kept my hope alive
As if somehow that might keep you here
The whole Asakura family argued with their decision but both teenagers won't hear any of their explanation. Anna took all of her things after that and left the life she had always known.. She had lived alone and far from her past, from Yoh.
Once you believed in a love forevermore
How do you live in a drawer?
Even though time had healed her heart, she could still not trust herself to not have her old feelings back once she saw his angelic face. She told everyone that she was over him and she almost believed herself if not for the fact that she can't bear to have anyone court her, and that until now her heart is still tied up on him.
Now here it comes, the hardest part of all
Unchain my heart that's holding on
She felt that familiar hurt, that familiar pain whenever she remembered him and their life together before.
How do I start to live my life alone?
As she walked back to her car, she shoved all the memories away and headed home to drown herself with work so she would forget him.
Guess I'm just learning
Learning the art of letting go
~majrocks~
On the other hand, as she walked away a pair of chocolate orbs was watching her.
Yoh had been watching her from afar from the time she walked out of Pirika's room when she helped the bride to be ready for the wedding.
Tried to say it's over; say the word goodbye
But each time it catches in my throat
He knows she's angry at him; she has a right to be.
He failed her. He made her suffer.
All he wanted was to have time to sort his feelings for her but his wrong move on that fateful day made a big turning point in his life.
You're still here in me, and I can't set you free
So I hold on to what I wanted most
He wanted to beg on her feet after he learned of her decision to cancel the engagement but when he looked at her eyes, he saw emotions that never in his life had he saw in her: hurt, anger, and most of all helplessness.
Maybe someday we'll be friends forevermore
Wish I could open up that door
He wanted to hug her, to kiss all of those emotions away but he knows that at that time it's too late to repair anything. What's done is done, and all his life he regretted it.
Now here it comes the hardest part of all
Unchain my heart that's holding on
How do I start to live my life alone?
Guess, I'm learning
Learning the art of letting go
He almost died when she left and cut all of the ties that bind them together. She distanced herself from all of them and he knows it's his entire fault.
Watching us fade, what can I do?
But trying to make it through the pain,
Now one more day without you
If he could just make it up to her; if he could just have another chance…
"I still love you Anna…"
Where do I start, to live my life alone?
I guess I'm learning
Only learning,
Learning the art of letting go
~majrocks~
When Anna arrived home, she found her roommate Ayako cooking dinner. She just came from the office after walking out of the wedding ceremony. She's an accountant now and had taken paper works home with her.
She sat on the sofa feeling beaten up when her gaze was directed to the center table of the living room. She found a box of three red roses lying there but didn't pick it up because she isn't used in snooping in other people's things and was sure that those are for Ayako.
She didn't have any suitors. Anna didn't let anyone court her.
She was about to go to her room when Ayako entered carrying her apron.
"How was the wedding?"
"It's okay, but I didn't finish the whole ceremony. I have a lot of work to do."
"Killjoy!" she teased Anna; sticking her tongue out to the blond lady.
Ayako with her waist long dark brown hair and pretty face was as different as night is to day with Anna but nevertheless they became friends because they share the same life story. She was also raised by a foster family.
"Whatever," was the only reply she got from the blond.
Anna was about to go up to her room when Ayako called her, "Hey you forgot your flowers!" she handed the box to her, "It was delivered around noon."
Anna looked questioningly at her, "Are you sure it's for me? Who sent this?"
Ayako shrugged, "The delivery boy says it's for Miss Anna Kyouyama and why don't you open the card to know who sent that?"
Anna did as she told, she opened the little card with the box, and it read:
'Three red roses for you Anna'
But there was no signature or any clue that could tell them who the sender is.
Ayako shrieked in delight, "Wow a secret admirer! You have a secret admirer Anna!"
~majrocks~
The following morning Anna received another box of three red roses and this time she personally received it from the delivery boy. When she called the flower shop to ask who sent the flowers, they informed her that the sender didn't left any information regarding his identity.
When she went to work the next day, she also received a box of three red roses but this time it was delivered to her workplace. Actually, this time Anna was nearing to freaking out because the flowers that were sent is just an indication that whoever that mystery guy is, he knows her schedule; where she went and what time.
This flower delivery lasted on for a month.
It didn't help that Ayako invented stories regarding who that guy is. She guesses it might be a very shy suitor or maybe a friend or workmate, or it might also be a criminal, a psycho who escaped mental hospital and had taken fancy on her.
She pushed the trail of thoughts away as she hailed a taxi to go home because her car was lent to Ayako when her foster mother called earlier saying that her foster father had a stroke and she was needed; and that her car is still in the repair shop.
Anna's brow furrowed as she noticed that the driver keeps on glancing at the rearview mirror. She can't help but ask, "Is there a problem?"
The driver looked nervously at her, "There is a black sports car that's been following us until now."
"What?" she was stunned and was about to turn around to look when the driver stopped her.
"Don't look back. It'll know that we are already aware that it's following us" the driver warned her.
"How many do you think they are?"
"I don't know ma'am. The car's window is tinted. But checking on how expensive the car looks, it seems impossible that they'll hijack the taxi and stole it."
Anna doesn't want where this trail of conversation was heading, "What do you mean?"
"Maybe they're not really after the taxi, but on something or someone else."
She felt her heart jump at his words, "Don't scare me off. Just go faster mister."
The driver did as he was told and soon enough they lost the following car and arrived in front of her flat. She paid the driver and didn't bother to get her change in her haste to open the door. She hastily fumbled to search for the key in her handbag and made several attempts to open the lock when she felt a presence behind her and it spoke, "Good evening Anna…"
That is all she can remember before everything turn black.
~majrocks~
When Anna woke up she was lying on the sofa, the first thing that she checked is her clothes and felt a wave of relief flashed through her as she saw that she was still fully clothed and the only article missing from her is her shoes which she saw was neatly parked near the center table.
She also saw her handbag in the table untouched. If there is a criminal why should he put everything back inside the bag and zip it lock? Its contents should be scattered everywhere so she was sure that she was not robbed.
But a question still lingers in her mind, who brought her inside and who is the guy who suddenly appeared behind her?
She was about to go and check when a familiar figure emerged from the kitchen carrying a cup.
It's Yoh Asakura!
"Yoh?" she was shocked to see him inside her flat.
"Yes it's me" he replied with a smile.
"Where did you come from?"
"In the kitchen. It took you so long to wake up so I helped myself to a cup of coffee. I really wanted a cup of it that's why I came here. I hope you don't mind."
"From what I know you still live in Funbari right?"
"Yes, why do you ask?"
"Don't you have coffee in your house that's why you have to travel all the way here to drink one?" she angrily snapped at him but in truth her heart was doing cartwheels in her chest. Emotions that she didn't know she still have for him flooded her being. She hates to admit it but her feelings for him came back to her as if it's never been away in the first place.
Yoh gave her that goofy grin trademark of his, "I have coffee at my house but I don't have a beautiful girl there."
Anna automatically blushed at his statement.
Yoh on the other hand, he freaked out when she passed out a few minutes ago but he managed to bring her to the sofa and remove her shoes. He admired her face for a long time after resolving in getting coffee in case she woke up and found him hovering over her.
The coffee thing was a silly lie and he knows Anna's not buying it but he knows if he told her that he wanted to see her she might slap him square in the face.
"Are you the one sending me flowers?" she followed up on him after a pause but regretted it the moment she said did. She shouldn't have asked that to him. He might read something out of it.
"Why? Is someone sending you flowers?"
She looked everywhere but him when she saw that he was looking intently at her.
He even moved in the chair directly in front of her. She felt his gaze melting her and that boyish smile still plastered on his face. Her heart raced faster.
"Well Anna? You haven't answered my question yet?" he spoke to get her attention.
"It's none of your business…" she bickered.
"Why is that? Just a few minutes ago you were asking if I'm the one sending you flowers and now you're telling me it's none of my business."
"Yeah, I know. But if your answer is no, case closed."
Yoh looked amused at her which irked her more. She wanted to slap that smirk away from his face.
"What if I am the one who sends you flowers?"
She turned to her direction questioningly. She wanted to ask why, she wanted to believe that he still love her but memories of the dreadful day played itself in her mind like a warning bell. She really wanted to know why. What is his motive in doing this?
"What are you thinking Anna?"
She glared at him then angrily answered, "Why do you want to know what I'm thinking? And if you really are the one sending me flowers, why? I'm happy with my life now Yoh. Aren't you done wrecking it? Didn't you know that I've had enough?"
The smile on his lips slowly faded as she spoke. She nearly thought that she angered him, but why would she care? She'd had her lesson with him. Aren't her sufferings enough?
On the contrary, Yoh smiled again and Anna can't explain why it relieved her.
"You really look more beautiful when you're angry Anna" he teased her.
She blushed again which broaden his smile.
She hated herself for acting like this. For feeling this towards him; she shouldn't have these emotions anymore. She composed herself and this time wore the ice queen mask.
"Are you finished with your coffee now? Because the door's now open and you are free to leave."
She directly shoves him out and even opened the door for him to hint that she wanted him out of her house right this minute.
Yoh sighed then headed for the door, when he passed by Anna he whispered in her ear, "Okay… but this will not be the last Anna… I promise you that."
~majrocks~
Emo? hahaha... not actually i just feel like writing this :P
By the way, for those people who are curious as what diffindo means, it's a Latin word for split or break apart and the title of the song earlier is Art of Letting Go by Mikaela.
Reviews and request are highly appreciated. I wanted to know what you think of this story guys!